Give thanks to the Lord for He is good. He. is. good. Do you believe He is? Even through the job loss The cancer fight The care of an aging parent Or the care of a special needs child? Do you believe He is good? Even through the loneliness and despair of isolation The tension […]
For You to Know His Mercy {A Brand New Place!}
My heart beats fast as I write, groping for just the right words to welcome you to this new place … this beautiful light-filled mercy-space … the one I’ve dreamed of for so long. The place where I have the chance to meet with you–the privilege to invite you in, with the hope that even amidst […]
When Our Heart Aches, He Meets Us Even There
I cry the ugly cry and can hardly type through the blur. My heart is aching and I know the ache is nothing compared with what some others may be facing. But my tears only know my ache, the reality of my situation, and there’s nothing more real than my very own heart. I’m alone, yet I know God is here. I’ve heard […]
Only God Can Change Tragedy Into Beauty
Only God can change tragedy into beauty. And it is only because of Him we can give thanks in everything, and by doing so find joy. I first met her 2 years ago when she became my neighbor. I’m really not the bold and brazen type who randomly knocks on a door. And I’m certainly not a door-to-door evangelist, but […]
Why Feelings Are NOT the Dictators of Our Reality {There is Hope}
There are times in life that are stormy and dark, when every heart feels beyond hope. Times when we’re overwhelmed by circumstances that startle and catch us off guard–circumstances that are right here, right now–dark and directly overhead. No anticipation. No warning. And we’re blinded by their presence and sideswiped by their consequences. A lost job. A […]
Holiness is a Matter of the Heart :: Sermon on the Mount {Week 13}
I’ve always been a rule-follower—a child who chose to obey because the thought of someone not being happy with me was unbearable. And over time, I learned that if I followed the rules and performed well, I’d please others and feel loved. And I began to apply this to my relationship with God. I can […]
How to Slow Time {Mountain Moments to Remember}
There’s something about the serenity of the mountains to help slow the pace of life. Something about the pine smell and the bird sounds that induce relaxation. Something about how the afternoon sun shines its light on the leaves and shimmers its light onto dirt paths. And this past weekend we slowed time. We drove up the mountain […]
How a Small Act of Being Kind Can Change Everything
Sometimes a random act of kindness can change everything. I have to admit, this morning was rough. I sluggishly woke to the energetic banter of all four of them, and we were already late, as usual. I told them to get ready to go, and they nodded and scattered. And I counted on them to […]
A Father’s Day Thank You!
To my dad, the man who taught me who a real man is and what a real man does. To my father-in-law, a humble patriarch by example, displaying what it means to be a Godly leader. And to my husband, who strives each day to embody the best of them both. Thank you for leading […]
The Whimsy of Living in the Now {Giving Thanks for One Beautiful Thing}
We walk up the hill in the noon of the day and they walk right beside me. And we near the apple trees in full blossom in the shadow of the mountain there beyond. The poppies dot the hillside with the brilliance of orange, and we stop to take it all in. Â The beauty […]
